StableLab Launches World’s First Handheld Blood Test for Horses
StableLab, a start-up company based at IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre, has developed the world’s first handheld blood test for horses, that according to leading US vets, Dr. Nathan Slovis, Dr. Bonnie Barr, Dr. Fairfield Bain and Dr. Keith Latson, marks a breakthrough in equine blood testing.
The equine healthcare innovation which combines biomarker and digital technologies was officially launched at the Dublin Horse Show last week.
StableLab, which has been developed by Dr. Heinrich Anhold, a former Junior International Showjumper with Ireland, can produce a result within minutes showing if a horse has an infection or not.
Dr Anhold received support early in the development of the product from IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre and took part in its CEIM Enterprise Platform Programme, the predecessor to the New Frontiers Programme which is currently operated jointly by the Institute and LYIT. He went on to win the Best Emerging Company in the 2010 All-Island Seedcorn Business Competition.
Speaking at the launch of StableLab Dr. Nathan Slovis, from the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, said: “We have been using StableLab for the past number of months in our clinical practice. We find that it is an earlier and more sensitive indicator of equine inflammatory and infectious diseases than other lab methods. StableLab is a breakthrough in stall side equine diagnostics, and presents a new way of blood testing. I would recommended that any equine practitioner consider StableLab in their practice”.
StableLab works by testing for a protein Serum Amyloid A (SAA), which only presents in a horse’s blood when an infection is present. A blood test cartridge used at the horse’s side gives a simple-to-read colour result, indicating clearly the presence of SAA in the event of infection. SAA has proven to be more reliable as a biomarker for infections than standard white blood cells. To date SAA tests have only ever been carried out in a laboratory but the StableLab technology has been designed and developed specifically to display a result at the horse’s side within minutes.
Company founder and CEO Dr. Heinrich Anhold said: “We believe this is the future of equine healthcare, the beauty of this product is in its simplicity. You don’t need to send your blood sample to a lab and you don’t need a PhD to interpret the results. As someone who has competed at the RDS on Show Day, I know what you need from your horse and the value of being able to confirm on the spot that your horse is good to compete. We’ve worked really hard over the last few years to design a product that brings together the science and the technology, in a way that works for the industry. To receive support now from Dr. Slovis, Dr. Barr, Dr. Bain and Dr. Latson is fantastic and such an endorsement for a company at our stage in development.”
StableLab will later this year launch a handheld reader to allow users to quantify results and an iPhone app to allow users to store information and build trends over time. The next cartridge, which should be ready for release by the end of the year, will be a test for tying up, or rhabdomyolysis.
Further information on StableLab is available on www.stablelab.com
Caption for above pic: Pic shows: (L&R) International vet Dr. Nathan Slovis, from the Hagyard Equine Institute in Kentucky and Stable Lab CEO Dr. Heinrich Anhold as they gave Flogas Waterfall an on the spot blood test at the Royal Dublin Horse Shows at the RDS. S